Deformable container and dispensing machine

ABSTRACT

A deformable container for single serving of a viscous or semi-solid product from an associated dispensing machine, the deformable container having a cylindrical or conical shape with two opposing end walls and at least one collapsible side wall connecting the first and second end walls, wherein one end wall is provided an opening with a cover through which the product is dispensed from the container. The collapsible side wall may have a cylindrical shape with a plurality of pleats arranged in an accordion-like shape, and be configured to collapse on itself into a substantially flattened position while maintaining a vertical alignment of each pleat. The collapsible side may be conical with a plurality of pleats arranged in a corrugated-like shape, and be configured to collapse on itself into a substantially flattened position wherein the pleats are arranged horizontally next to each other. The container may additionally include a lock mechanism for maintain the flattened shape.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/871,996, filed Aug. 30, 2013, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing viscous orsemi-solid product (e.g., ice-cream) from prefilled containers,preferably single-serving deformable containers, and to the prefilledcontainers that are designed for use therewith so that the product theycontain is dispensed by extrusion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ice cream is typically dispensed at the point of sale in pre-packed formby scoops out of large containers in a refrigerator, or in a flow from afreezing, mixing and dispensing machine.

Dispensing ice cream by scoop from a container has the advantage ofinexpensive production and transport, but dispensing the ice cream isslow, especially when the proper hygienic precautions are taken.Scoop-dispensed ice cream also provides the facility for providing arange of ice cream including those containing fruit, nuts and othersolids. However, freezers for maintaining the containers of ice creamcan be large and bulky, and large commercial ice cream containers aresusceptible to contamination.

Machines for dispensing so called “soft” or “soft-serve” ice cream areknown, wherein liquid ingredients are loaded into a machine that mixes,freezes and dispenses the ice cream into cones or other containers. Suchmachines have previously had high power requirements and are expensiveto manufacture. Additionally, different mixing and dispensing equipmentis required for each flavor, such that it is usual for such machines tohave a capacity for only one, two or, perhaps, three flavors. Moreover,these machines are often difficult to maintain, and, due to the natureof the product which must be used, the quality of the ice creamdispensed therefrom does not compare favorably with the possible qualityof products dispensed by scoop.

Hygiene requirements for dispensing food products are becoming stricter.Moreover, convenience and variety of product are of greater importance.Pre-packed ice cream is relatively expensive to produce and distributebut has the advantage that a wide range of flavors and types of icecream can be sold at a single outlet, the only requirement being arefrigerator to keep the product frozen. Thus, dispensing soft serveproduct from prefilled containers permits service of a large variety offlavors utilizing simple, inexpensive equipment with minimum level oflabor and with conformity to the highest modern hygienic standards.

However, an important aspect of using prefilled containers is a fillingprocess. Design of the container must to provide a practical way forfilling from small dispensers as well as use in high output productionlines.

Various types of deformable containers are already known for singleserving, pre-packaged ice cream, but problems exist with thesecontainers.

For example, devices that serve the above purposes are known and alreadyused by UNILEVER® (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,783 to Jeffrey Hunter etal., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety) and ONESHOT® (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,767 to Shane Robert McGill, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). By providingdispensing apparatus and a single serving dispensing containers, thesedisclosures help alleviate hygienic concerns. However, these containersare not environmentally friendly, as they require large spaces fortransportation and waste management.

Specifically, it is often the case that the single serving dispensingcontainers must be shipped over considerable distances to distributorswho fill with the product and then ship the product-filled containers toretail locations. During the initial shipment to distributors, the emptycontainers fill a large a volume that is mostly air. The same issuehappens when the prefilled container is disposed of (after dispensing ofthe product), transported to a waste management facility and placed in alandfill.

In addition, these containers are made of rigid structures withrelatively thick plastic walls that become a great environmentalconcern, because plastic materials are, for the most part, notbiodegradable. Moreover, these containers are products of a moldingprocess that necessarily produces containers with walls havingsignificantly greater thickness than desired (e.g., above 0.7 mm) and,therefore, require greater power consumption to deform the containerwhen dispensing the product. By contrast, the thermoforming processallows fabrication of collapsible containers with equal thicknesses from0.1 mm and up.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,648, issued Apr. 6, 2004 to Hui-Taek Kim, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses an ice creamdispenser which is directed to effectively discharging an ice cream fromthe interior of a dispensing container without any transformation anddamage of the dispensing container. However, Kim's empty container iscumbersome to transport due to its lack of collapsibility andstack-ability, and the empty container also leaves behind a large andbulky waste product that causes the environmental concerns describedabove.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,342, issued Jun. 22, 1999 to Shane Robert McGill,which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, disclosesdeformable containers which are of generally cylindrical in shape havingend walls at opposite ends, one end wall including an opening and theother end wall configured to be engaged for moving that end wallrelative to the other, during which movement the side walls aredeformed. The side walls may have a concertina-like formation to enabledeformation to take place, so as to reduce the length and volume of thecontainer and discharge the contents of the container. With theconcertina-like formation the side wall may comprise a plurality ofpleats, which close up and open out during deformation of the container.However, McGill's cylindrical shape makes these deformable containersdifficult to store and transport due to their lack of stack-ability oncedeformed. In addition, the containers involve overly complicated methodsof collapsing that needlessly raises manufacturing and material costs.Similar problems exist with U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,222, issued Jun. 1, 1993to Shane Robert McGill, which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,027, issued on Aug. 3, 1993 to Toshinori Tanaka etal., which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, depictsan extrudable package having a conical shape that is formed of thin andrelatively hard plastic, which includes a main body wall formed with anumber steps, an opening closed by a lid having a discharge opening andan auxiliary lid having pull tab. When the extrudable package ispressed, the main body deforms so as to become flat, and the soft icecream food is extruded through the discharge opening and dispensed intoa food container. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,027 provides noexplanation as to how the extrudable container is collapsible, and it isconceivable that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to collapseTanaka's container due to its relatively hard material and to the strict90 degree step-wise shape of the main body wall. Additionally, whileTanaka explains that the extrudable container may be flattened, Tanakafails to contemplate and overcome any spring-back action that mayprevent the container, once deformed, from maintaining its flattenedshape.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,128, issued Aug. 8, 1995 to Avraham Fishman, whichis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses athree-dimensional structure of concentric rings forming a container ofplastic material, wherein a plurality of concentric ring-shaped wallelements adjoin each other to form a generally frusto-conically shapedwall of the container. Adjacently adjoining wall elements are inclinedwith respect to each other, and the wall elements are connected to eachother with a ring-shaped area of reduced wall thickness, forming a filmhinge. The wall elements are inclined so that they can be turned downover adjoining elements to collapse the container. However, theintricate design and alternating wall thicknesses of Fishman's containermost likely raises production costs. Also, and similar to U.S. Pat. No.5,232,027 discussed above, Fishman fails to contemplate and overcome anyspring-back action that may prevent the container, once deformed, frommaintaining its flattened shape.

None of the above-recited patents solve the current problems associatedwith one-time-use dispensing containers, namely bulky waste,inconvenience, expensive and cumbersome transportation, high materialcosts, and the likelihood that the disposable container may fail tomaintain a flattened shape after dispensing. Stackability is a desirablestructural feature of a deformable container, both prior to being filledand after being emptied, because it decreases the volume needed totransport the container. Additionally, maintaining a flattened shapeafter deformation is a desirable structural characteristic of adeformable container because it decreases the volume needed to store andtransport the container, in addition to reducing the volume of wasteproduct produced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide adeformable container especially suitable for dispensing food products,which is simple, adaptable and hygienic.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a deformablecontainer that is collapsible into a substantially flattened shape afterdispensing of the food product contained within. In certain embodiments,the deformable container may reversibly expand and contract (e.g.,collapse). In preferred embodiments, the deformable container isconfigured to maintain (e.g., lock in) a flattened shaped after it iscollapsed.

In certain embodiments, the deformable container is a single-use,disposable container for dispensing a viscous or semi-solid product suchas, for example, ice cream, although other viscous or semi-solidproducts are contemplated.

In certain embodiments, the deformable container has a generallycylindrical or conical (e.g., frustoconical) shape comprising a firstend wall, a second end wall or opening opposing the first end wall, andat least one collapsible side wall connecting the first end wall and theopening or connecting the first and second end walls. The first end wallmay include a recess configured to engage with a plunger of anassociated dispensing machine. The second end wall may include anopening (e.g., an outlet opening) configured to allow the viscous orsemi-solid product stored within the container to be dispensedtherethrough upon deformation of the container by collapsing of the atleast one collapsible side wall.

In certain embodiments, the collapsible side wall of the deformablecontainer has a conical (e.g., frustoconical) shape wherein the at leastone side wall is formed at an angle of between 45 to 89 degrees relativeto the first and second end walls.

In one embodiment, the at least one collapsible side wall has aplurality of ridges, steps, pleats, or wall segments arranged in anaccordion-like shape, and the at least one collapsible side wall isconfigured to collapse onto itself into a substantially flattenedposition, wherein the ridges, steps, pleats, or wall segments areoriented horizontally and stacked vertically one atop another.

In another embodiment, the at least one collapsible side wall has aplurality of ridges, steps, pleats, or wall segments arranged in acorrugated-like shape, and the at least one collapsible side wall isconfigured to collapse onto itself such that the container has asubstantially flattened configuration, wherein the ridges, steps,pleats, or wall segments are oriented vertically and arranged next toand adjacent each other. In this embodiment, the deformable containermay have a conical shape wherein the ridges, steps, pleats, or wallsegments are formed of a plurality of concentric rings of differingdiameters. For example, the diameters of each wall segment or pleat mayincrease in the direction from the first end wall towards the second endwall.

In certain embodiments, the deformable container includes a lockingmechanism configured to lock the deformable container in a flattenedconfiguration thereby maintaining the flattened configuration.

In one embodiment, the locking mechanism may include a lip or notch onthe lid that is configured to allow at least one ridge/step (e.g.,pleat) of the at least one collapsible side wall to be gripped or held(e.g., snap-locked) once the side wall is collapsed. In anotherembodiment, a protrusion on an internal surface of the first end wallmay be configured to engage with an opposing recess on the lid or withthe outlet opening in the lid. In yet another one embodiment, thedeformable container may self-lock wherein wall segments of the at leastone side wall snap into a locking configuration upon being compressedduring dispensing.

In certain embodiments the present invention includes a dispensingapparatus for dispensing the viscous or semi-solid product from thedeformable container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification.The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation,together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following detailed descriptions when readwith the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation and cross-sectional view of a dispensingapparatus and deformable container according to aspects of certainembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation and cross-sectional view of a deformablecontainer loaded into a dispensing apparatus according to aspects ofcertain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a dispensing apparatus with aseat/platform according to aspects of certain embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a deformable container withcollapsible accordion-like side walls and an accompanying lid accordingto aspects of a certain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a lid of the deformable container with an opening forextrusion according to aspects of certain embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the deformable container and liddepicted in FIG. 4 in a substantially flattened or compressedconfiguration according to aspects of certain embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a deformable container withcollapsible, corrugated-like side walls and an accompanying lidaccording to aspects of certain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 a shows a cross-sectional view of one type of lid for thedeformable container according to aspects of certain embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 b shows a cross-sectional view of another type of lid for thedeformable container according to aspects of certain embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 shows another lid of the deformable container with an outletopening for extrusion according to aspects of certain embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the deformable container of FIG.7 with the lid of FIG. 8 a in a substantially flattened or compressedconfiguration according to aspects of certain embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the deformable container of FIG.7 with the lid of FIG. 8 b in a substantially flattened or compressedconfiguration according to aspects of certain embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of another type of lid for thedeformable container according to aspects of certain embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of a deformable container of FIG. 4having a locking mechanism according to aspects of certain embodimentsof the present invention;

FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a deformable containerhaving a locking mechanism according to aspects of certain embodimentsof the present invention;

FIG. 15 shows a cross-section view of a deformable container withcollapsible side walls according to aspects of certain embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 16 a-c show cross-sectional illustrations depicting the manner inwhich a wall segment of deformable container of FIG. 15 folds/collapsesaccording to aspects of certain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view of a deformable container of FIG.15 in a flattened configuration according to aspects of certainembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 18 shows a cross-sectional view of a deformable container withcollapsible wall segments having vertical and curved sections accordingto aspects of certain embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 19 shows a cross-sectional view of the deformable container of FIG.18 in a collapsed configuration according to aspects of certainembodiments of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale.For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggeratedrelative to other elements for clarity. Additionally, the many featuresof any one embodiment shown in a figure should not be consideredindependent and separate from the features of an embodiment shown inanother figure, and it is conceivable that features of any oneembodiment may be combinable with another. Further, where consideredappropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures toindicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the artthat the present invention may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, componentshave not been described in detail so as not to obscure the presentinvention.

A purpose of the present invention is to provide a collapsible,deformable, thin-walled dispensing container which does not take upunnecessary space during transportation and maintains a flattened shapeafter dispensing.

Reference is now made to the drawings, which show in greater detailseveral views of a dispensing apparatus and deformable containeraccording to aspects of certain embodiments of the present invention.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, a deformable containeris collapsible to a substantially flattened shape and may, in someembodiments, reversibly expand and contract (e.g., collapse) as needed.In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, deformable container3 may include a first end wall 14, a second end wall 15 opposing thefirst end wall, at least one collapsible side wall 6 connecting firstend wall 14 and second end wall 15, and a lid 7 with outlet opening 8.In certain embodiments, second end wall 15 is only partial, with a largeopening formed therethrough for use during filling of container 3.Deformable container 3 has a volume 9 that may be filled with a viscousor semi-solid product (e.g., ice cream).

In certain embodiments, the deformable container is a single-use,disposable container for dispensing a viscous or semi-solid product suchas, for example, ice cream, although other viscous or semi-solidproducts are contemplated. In general, the deformable container may bepre-filled with the viscous or semi-solid product and sealed againstcontamination. In operation, a user may unseal the container anddispense the product therefrom.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the dispensing apparatus may be as known in theart and may include a base, a supporting frame 1 and a movableseat/platform 4 for supporting the deformable container 6 duringdispensing of the product 9 therefrom. The dispensing apparatus mayinclude a constant torque linear actuator 2 with a deforming meansmovable to engage and deform the deformable container 6 to dischargeproduct from inside the volume 9 of the container 6 through an outlet oropening in the second end wall. In preferred embodiments, the deformingmeans is a plunger 13 that is movable in a generally vertical direction,whereby operation of plunger 13 of the dispensing apparatus moves thefirst end wall of the container towards the second end wall of thecontainer to deform (e.g., collapse, flatten) the at least onecollapsible side wall. In certain embodiments, plunger 13 includes aplunger head/protrusion that is generally cylindrical.

In certain embodiments, seat 4 is of suitable size and shape that fit tocontain deformable container 3 containing product in a stable positionby a perfect side fit between cover shape 7 and seating 4, as shown inFIG. 2. Seat 4 is movable between an operating position, in whichdeformation takes place, and a non-operating position, in which thecontainer may be placed in and removed from the seat. For example, whenthe seat is in the operating position, the seat is located verticallybelow the plunger. In preferred embodiments, the plunger is movable onlywhen the seat is in the operating position.

In certain embodiments, the dispensing apparatus may have a manually orpower-operated drive mechanism that causes the plunger to bereciprocally movable towards and away from a deformable container in adispensing operation of the apparatus. The drive mechanism may beelectrically, hydraulically, gas, and/or hand operated. In certainembodiments, the power-operated drive mechanism may be automated usingmethods implementing the computing devices described below.

In certain embodiments, dispensing apparatus is arranged so that linearactuator 2 cannot be operated unless container 3 is in the operatingposition beneath plunger 13. In operation, vertical linear actuator 2with plunger 13 engage deformable container 3 downward, causingcompression of container 3, thereby extruding the product towards thecover outlet 8 of container 3, so that the product emerges and dropsinto any receptacle 10 placed below.

The amount of product within container 3 can be selected according topredetermined requirements, such as the size of a predetermined portionof product to be received by receptacle 10. Also, several portions maybe discharged from same container, simply by halting the movement of thedischarge plunger 13 in an intermediate position when sufficient producthas been discharged. Thus, container 3 may be of any suitable size.

As shown in of FIG. 1, control box 5 provides control for automaticallyenergizing the linear actuator 2 when it detects that a dispensingoperation can be performed and for returning the plunger to its upperposition when the container is fully discharged. Control box 5 alsocontrols the rate of discharge and provides user interface and safetyfunctions such as: cycle, emergency stop, torque control for linearactuator, extrusion watch dog timer and cycles counter.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first end wall 14of the deformable container 3 includes a recess/depression 11 whoseexternal surface is configured to be engaged by a protrusion on plunger13 of dispensing apparatus. The second end wall includes an opening 8configured to receive the semi-solid product and facilitate dispensingof the viscous or semi-solid product upon collapse of the at least onecollapsible side wall.

In certain embodiments, the second end wall is not a complete wall, butrather only a partial wall at the end of the deformable container 3opposite to the first end wall 14. In some embodiments, the second endwall may be a large opening defined by the circumference of the terminalend of the collapsible side wall 6 of the deformable container 3opposite to the first end wall 14, although other configurations arecontemplated. In preferred embodiments, the large opening facilitatesfilling of the deformable container with the viscous or semi-solidproduct. In certain embodiments, second end wall may be covered by acover or lid, as discussed below.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the deformablecontainer 3 includes a lid (e.g., cover) 7 that is configured to beassembled onto the container after the container is filled with theproduct. In some embodiments, lid 7 is configured to engage (e.g.,connect, attach) with the second end wall of the deformable container.

FIG. 5 depicts lid 7 from view angle A of FIG. 4, which illustrates anexternal surface of lid 7. As shown in FIG. 5, lid 7 is generallycircular in shape, although other shapes are contemplated, preferably tomatch the configuration of end wall 15. Lid 7 may have at least oneoutlet opening 8 for discharging or extruding the product to bedispensed, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In preferred embodiments, outletopening 8 is located in a radial center of circular lid 7 as illustratedin FIG. 5, although other embodiments wherein outlet opening 8 is in anoff-center position is contemplated. In some embodiments, the outletopening 8 is small relative to the large opening of the second end wall.In this way, dispensing the product is more controllable

The lid 7 may further include at least one seal (not shown) on the atleast one outlet opening 8 that is configured to be removed prior to useof the prefilled container 3 in order to allow the product containedwithin prefilled container 3 to be dispensed through outlet opening 8.

In some embodiments, lid 7 may have a recess 16 formed therein orthereon, as will be described below. Recess 16 is typically circular inshape and centered radially on lid 7.

In certain embodiments, the lid 7 is manufactured from a relativelyrigid material and should be sufficiently thick to ensure that the lidstructure remains rigid during product dispensing. The lid 7 may beattached to the deformable container by, without limitation, frictionfit, snap fit, weld, screwing, gluing, bonding or otherwise fusing orconnecting the lid to the container.

In alternative embodiments, product dispensing may be performed throughthe end of the container opposing the lid (not shown). In thisembodiment, the end through which the dispensing is done is manufacturedof the rigid material and will have at least one outlet opening fordispensing the product. When dispensing is performed through the endopposing the lid, the lid may be manufactured from a thin, flexibleplastic or other material, although it is not limited to this.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which shows a cross-sectional view of adeformable container 3 having a substantially cylindrical shape with atleast one collapsible accordion-like side wall 6 and an accompanying lid7, according to aspects of a first embodiment of the present invention.In this embodiment, the at least one collapsible side wall 6 of thedeformable container 3 has a cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, thecylindrically shaped collapsible side wall has a plurality of ridges,steps, pleats, or wall segments arranged in an accordion-like shape, andconfigured to collapse onto itself into a substantially flattenedposition, wherein the ridges, steps, pleats, or wall segments areoriented horizontally and stacked vertically one atop another. Anexample of the vertical stacking of the ridges, steps, pleats, and wallsegments in the collapsed container may be seen, for example, in FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the deformable container 3depicted in FIG. 4 in a substantially flattened or compressed positionaccording to aspects of the first embodiment of the present invention.As can be seen in FIG. 6, deformable container 3 has been collapsed to asubstantially flattened position wherein the plurality of pleats of sidewall 6 have been compressed into lid 7 while maintaining a verticalstacking of the pleats, which are now oriented horizontally. Whendeformable container 3 has a substantially cylindrical shape, pleats ofside wall 6, once compressed, will be vertically stacked one on top ofanother. It is noted that FIG. 6 depicts side wall 6 as being stacked atan angle relative to lid 7, which indicates that deformable container 3has a substantially cylindrical shape with side wall 6 being angledslightly inward, and it is contemplated that the vertically stacked sidewall 6 may not be angled in this way.

Reference is now made to FIG. 7, which shows a cross-sectional view ofanother embodiment of deformable container 3 with an accompanying lid 7.In certain embodiments, the at least one collapsible side wall 6 of thedeformable container 3 has a generally conical (e.g., frustoconical)shape. In certain embodiments, the at least one collapsible side wall 6is formed at an angle of between 45 to 89 degrees relative to the secondend wall 15 or lid 7. The angle of the at least one side wall 6 of theconically shaped container 3 relative to first end wall 14 and secondend wall 15 ensures an improved pressure distribution inside thecontainer during extrusion (e.g., dispensing) and prevents unexpected orundesired deformation of the deformable container 3.

In this embodiment, the at least one collapsible side wall 6 has aplurality of ridges, steps, pleats, or wall segments arranged in acorrugated-like shape, and the deformable container is configured tocollapse on itself into a substantially flattened position, wherein, inthe flattened position, the plurality of ridges, steps, pleats, or wallsegments are oriented vertically and are arranged next to and adjacenteach other. In this embodiment, the deformable container may have aconical (e.g., frustoconical) shape wherein the ridges, steps, pleats,or wall segments are formed of a plurality of concentric wall segmentsof differing diameters. For example, the diameters of each wall segmentor pleat may increase in the direction from the first end wall 14towards the second end wall 15. An example of the horizontal alignmentof vertically-oriented ridges, steps, pleats, and wall segments of theat least one collapsible side wall 6 in the substantially flattenedconfiguration may be seen in, for example, in FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b show side views, and FIG. 9 shows a plane view, of alid 7 of the deformable container with an outlet opening 8 for extrusionaccording to aspects of the second embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 9 depicts lid 7 from view angle B-B in FIGS. 8 a and 8 b, andillustrates an external surface of lid 7. As shown in FIG. 9, lid 7 isgeneral circular in shape, although other shapes are contemplated. Inpreferred embodiments, outlet opening 8 is located in a radial center ofcircular lid 7, although other embodiments wherein outlet opening 8 isin an off-center position is contemplated. Similarly, lid 7 may have arecess 16, which is typically circular in shape and centered radially onlid 7. It is noted that, in the embodiment of lid 7 depicted in FIG. 9,outlet opening 8 has a star shaped configuration, but other shapes ofoutlet opening 8 are contemplated.

In an alternative embodiment of deformable container 3 shown in FIG. 7,as shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, the at least one collapsible side wall ofthe deformable container 3 includes at least one, preferably aplurality, of concentric wall segments. Each wall segment is stacked,adjoining and adjacent other wall segments, and together the wallsegments form a frustoconical shape of the at least one side wall of thedeformable container. For example, the wall segments are arranged fromthe first end wall to the second end wall or lid such that each wallsegment has a greater diameter/circumference than the adjacent wallsegment preceding it. In one version, each wall segment may include anarcuate, or curved section and a straight section extending in thedirection from the first end wall to the second end wall or lid, suchthat each wall segment includes a straight wall element and a partiallyrounded element. Each concentric side wall segment may include a firstdiameter corresponding to the straight section and a second diametercorresponding to the curved section. In certain embodiments, thestraight section of each concentric side wall segment is orientedvertically, such that the diameter of the straight section has no change(is constant) within in its respective wall segment of the collapsibleside wall. Further, in certain embodiments, the diameter of eachconcentric wall segment increases along the curve of the curved sectionin a direction from the first end wall to the second end wall or lid.These alternate embodiments will be discussed in greater detail below.

It is noted that, although cylindrical and conical shapes are shown, thedeformable container according to the present invention may have othershapes such as elliptical, oval, rectangular with rounded corners, orother curvilinear shapes, and is not limited to the shapes depicted inthe drawings.

The deformable container and lid, according to embodiments of thepresent invention, may be manufactured from any material, but arepreferably manufactured from a plastic material such as, withoutlimitation, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene,polyvinyl acetate or polyethylene. In other embodiments, the containerand lid may be made from paper or cardboard coated with a plasticmaterial. Other materials are also contemplated.

In certain embodiments, the deformable container and lid aremanufactured using methods known in the art such as, without limitation,injection molding, thermoforming, or blow-molding. The thermoformingprocess is preferred, due to the small thicknesses of the container,weight-saving capabilities, and reduced power consumption that may beachieved by the thermoforming process. Additionally, as known in theart, scrap and plastic waste from the thermoforming process may berecycled back into the thermoforming process, thereby helping to reducewaste.

In some embodiments, the first and second end walls may be manufacturedfrom a first material, and the at least one side wall may bemanufactured from a second material that is different from the first. Incertain embodiments, the lid of the deformable container is manufacturedto be thick and rigid (e.g., hard) relative to the at least one sidewall, which is manufactured to be thin, pliable and deformable (e.g.,collapsible).

Additionally, it is noted that the deformable container, as describedherein, may be manufactured in two pieces wherein the container and thelid are formed separately, or may be manufactured as one piece whereinthe lid is formed integrally with the container. It is also contemplatedthat the deformable container and lid may be manufactured initially astwo pieces but formed into one piece by fusing the lid to the deformablecontainer. The description of the drawings below should be interpretedas referring to both the one-piece and two-piece configurations of thedeformable container except where otherwise noted.

While it is contemplated that deformable container 3 does not include alocking mechanism, the various embodiments of the present invention mayalso include one or more locking mechanisms. A locking mechanism maytake any shape or form and is generally configured to maintain thedeformable container in a flattened configuration following extrusion(e.g., dispensing) of the product. In some embodiments, the deformablecontainer may self-lock wherein wall segments of the at least one sidewall snap into a locking configuration upon being compressed duringdispensing. In other embodiments, the deformable container may havefeatures that allow portions to be held in a locked configuration uponcompression of the deformable container during dispensing. Alternativelocking mechanisms are contemplated, as discussed below.

Locking the deformable container in the flattened configuration reducesthe volume of space occupied by the single-use deformable container,thereby reducing pollution, and ensuring a simplified and more effectivemode of transportation (e.g., shipment) of the empty containers. Inaddition, the locking mechanism may prevent any rebound and re-expansionof the at least one side wall after collapsing the container anddispensing the product, which may occur due to the elasticity of therelatively thin structure of the at least one side wall. In certainembodiments, the locking mechanism is formed as part of the structure ofthe container itself, or the container and lid themselves, and includesno external parts or pieces.

In certain embodiments, the locking mechanism may include a lip or notchon the lid that is configured to allow at least one ridge/groove (e.g.,pleat) of the at least one collapsible side wall to be gripped or held(e.g., snap-lock) once the side wall is collapsed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, lid 7 may include aninternally-directed projection, or a lip, 17 located on an innercircumference or periphery of a radially distal portion of lid 7. Incertain embodiments, lip 17 is configured to catch and hold (e.g.,snap-lock) each pleat of side wall 6 as each pleat passes lip 17 duringcompression of deformable container 3, as shown in FIG. 2. Lip 17 isconfigured to accept and hold all pleats of side wall 6 once container 3has been compressed, such that deformable container 3 maintains aflattened shape following compression. Accordingly, in this embodiment,lid 7 should have a depth sufficient to encompass the entire verticalstack of the horizontally oriented pleats of side wall 6, once deformed,in order to enable locking of all pleats of side wall 6 under lip 17. Itis contemplated that a top surface of the collapsed side wall 6 portiondepicted in FIG. 6 may be configured to fit under and snap into lip 17.

In another embodiment of the locking mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 4, 8b, and 11, the locking mechanism may include a protrusion on a surfaceof the first end wall 14 configured to engage with an opposing recess onthe lid 7. In certain embodiments, the protrusion is on an internalsurface of the first end wall (e.g., inside the volume of thecontainer). In some embodiments, the protrusion and the plunger recesson the first end wall are the same structure. That is, the plungerrecess 11, which is formed into an external surface of the first endwall 14 and is configured to engage with the plunger of the dispensingapparatus during compression of the container, is the same structure asthe protrusion, which is formed on an internal surface of the first endwall 14 and is configured to engage with and lock into an opposingrecess 16 on an internal surface of second end wall 15 or of the lid 7.

The deformable container 3 depicted in FIG. 4 includes arecess/protrusion 11 at first end wall 14. In certain embodiments,recess/protrusion 11 is configured to engage with, and lock into, arecess 16 formed in lid 7, thereby forming a locking mechanism forlocking container 3 in a flattened shape following compression andextrusion of the product from volume 9.

In other embodiments, deformable container 3 may have both lockingmechanisms, namely lip 17 configured to hold each pleat of side wall 6,as well as recess/protrusion 11 configured to engage with recess 16 inlid 7. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, lid 7 includes a recess 16for engagement with a recess/protrusion 11 as well as lip 17, but it isalso contemplated that lid 7 may include either one or the other.

In one embodiment of this locking mechanism, as illustrated in FIGS. 4and 6, recess/protrusion 11 of deformable container 3 is configured toengage with recess 16 of lid 7 by friction fit, thereby locking intorecess 16. In another embodiment of this locking mechanism, asillustrated in FIGS. 6 and 13, recess 16 of lid 7 may also have at leastone sideways projection or lip 12 formed as a protrusion on the edge ofthe internal surface of the first end wall 14, which snaps/locks into atleast one notch 21 of recess 16. As shown in FIG. 13, recess 16 on theinternal surface of lid 7 includes one groove or notch 21 configured toengage with a sideways projection or lip 12 formed as a protrusion onthe edge of the internal surface of the first end wall 14.

In one embodiment, the groove/notch 21 extends completely orsubstantially around the entire periphery of the lid recess. In anotherembodiment, the lid recess 16 includes at least one notch 21 or aplurality of notches 21 arranged radially around the periphery of thelid recess 16, and the first end wall protrusion 14 includes acorresponding number of lips 12 configured to engage the one or morenotches. In these embodiments, the at least one lip 12 on the first endwall protrusion is configured to snap into at least one notch 21 on thelid recess, thereby locking the first end wall 14 onto the lid 7 andmaintaining the flattened shape of the container following productdispensing.

It is noted that, while FIG. 13 depicts a deformable container accordingto a first embodiment of the present invention, deformable containersaccording to any one of the embodiments disclosed herein may include thelocking mechanism depicted in FIG. 13.

For example, the second embodiment of the deformable container 3, asdepicted in FIG. 7, may include either the lip locking mechanism or therecess locking mechanism or both. As shown in FIG. 7, deformablecontainer 3 may include a recess/protrusion 11 on first end wall 14.FIG. 8 a shows a cross-sectional view of one type of lid 7 fordeformable container 3 with a corresponding recess, while FIG. 8 b showsa cross-sectional view of another type of lid 7 for deformable container3 with a recess 16 corresponding to recess/protrusion 11. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 8 b, recess/protrusion 11 of first end wall14 is configured to engage with, and lock into, recess 16 of lid 7thereby maintaining the flattened shape of deformable container 3.

Reference is now made to FIG. 10, which shows a cross-sectional view ofthe container 3 of FIG. 7 with the lid 7 of FIG. 8 a in a fullycompressed (e.g., flattened) configuration according to aspects of thesecond embodiment of the present invention. As depicted in FIG. 10, theplurality of pleats of the at least one side wall 6 are arrangedadjacent to each other in vertical alignment in the collapsed position.FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the container 3 of FIG. 7 withthe lid 7 of FIG. 8 b in a fully compressed (e.g., flattened)configuration according to aspects of the second embodiment of thepresent invention. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 11 depicts the recesslocking mechanism as discussed above, wherein first end wall 14 includesa recess/protrusion 11 configured to engage with, and lock into, acorresponding recess 16 in lid 7. The recess locking mechanism isconfigured to maintain deformable container 3 in a flattened shapefollowing extrusion of the product from volume 9.

In some embodiments, this locking may take place by friction fit of theinternal side of plunger recess 11 into opposing recess 16. In thisembodiment, operating the plunger of the dispensing apparatus mayfacilitate locking the deformable container in a flattened configurationfollowing compression and extrusion of the product from volume 9.

FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a further alternativeembodiment of this locking mechanism, wherein outlet opening 8 of lid 7acts as the receiving area for a protrusion 11 on first end wall 14. Inthis embodiment, outlet opening 8 serves as the lid recess (in place ofrecess 16) that is configured to accept a protrusion 11 arranged on thefirst end wall 14. In this embodiment, the lid 7 may be substantiallyflat in shape thereby further helping to reduce the volume occupied bythe flattened deformable container 3. In some embodiments, protrusion 11may have a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of outlet opening8 in order to provide a snug/tight fit of protrusion 11 into outletopening 8. In other embodiments, protrusion 11 may include a grooveextending completely or substantially along an outer periphery thereofand configured to engage with an edge of outlet opening 8, therebymaintaining the deformable container in the substantially flattenedconfiguration.

Outlet opening 8 may be any desired shape but generally includes,without limitation, at least one defined geometric shape (e.g.,elliptical, circular, square, rectangular, etc.) configured to accept acorrespondingly shaped protrusion (e.g., button) arranged on an internalsurface of the first end wall 14. FIG. 9 depicts an outlet opening 8having a multi-pointed star shape with a circular geometric shape at itsradial center according to this embodiment of the invention. It is notedthat, in the embodiment of lid 7 depicted in FIG. 9, outlet opening 8has a star shaped configuration, but other shapes of outlet opening 8are contemplated. It is also noted that the outlet opening 8 depicted inFIG. 9 includes a substantially circular center. This circular centermay be the at least one defined geometric shape (e.g., elliptical,circular, square, rectangular, etc.) configured to accept acorrespondingly shaped protrusion (e.g., button) arranged on an internalsurface of the first end wall 14 as discussed above.

In operation, when first end wall 14 with protrusion 11 is pusheddownward, by plunger 13 of the dispensing apparatus, towards lid 7 withoutlet opening 8, the container is compressed as illustrated in FIG. 14.The larger diameter protrusion 11 is pushed through the smaller diameteroutlet opening 8, thereby deflecting the open edges of outlet opening 8and locking protrusion 11, and first end wall 14, into lid 7. In thisposition, the inward facing edges of outlet opening 8, whether in thestar shaped configuration or in other shapes, provide the gripping forcearound the periphery of protrusion 11, such as by engaging a grooveextending along the outer periphery of protrusion 11, so as to maintainthe position of protrusion 11 within outlet opening 8.

It is noted that, while FIG. 14 depicts a deformable container 3according to a third embodiment of the present invention discussedbelow, deformable containers according to any one of the embodimentsdisclosed herein may include the locking mechanism depicted in FIG. 14.

It is noted that other configurations of the locking mechanism arecontemplated. For example, the recess 16, or outlet opening 8, and theprotrusion on the first end wall 14 do not have to be the samestructure, but may be separate and distinct structural features of thedeformable container. It is also noted that the deformable containerdoes not necessarily require a locking mechanism, or the deformablecontainer may include more than one locking mechanism as desired orrequired.

In yet another alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 15-17, thelocking mechanism of the container occurs as a natural result of thedeformation of the at least one side wall 6 of the deformable container3. Reference is now made to FIG. 15, which is a cross-sectional view ofa deformable container 3 with collapsible side walls 6 according toaspects of a third embodiment of the present invention. As depicted inFIG. 15, deformable container 3 according to this third embodimentincludes, inter alia, a first end wall 14, at least one collapsible sidewall 6, and lid 7 having outlet opening 8. In this embodiment, at leastone side wall 6 includes at least one, preferably a plurality, ofconcentric wall segments 25. Each wall segment 25 is stacked, adjoiningand adjacent, and together form a frustoconical shape of the at leastone side wall 6 of deformable container 3. For example, the wallsegments 25 are arranged from first end wall 14 to lid 7 such that eachwall segment 25 has a greater diameter/circumference than the adjacentwall segment 25 preceding it.

Each concentric wall segment 25 includes an arcuate or curved section 25a and a straight/vertical section 25 b in the direction extending fromfirst end wall 14 to lid 7. In other words, each concentric wall segment25 includes a concentric partially rounded element 25 a and a concentricstraight wall 25 b. Each straight section 25 b may be arrangedvertically such that it has no change in diameter in its respectivesection of side wall 6, while each curved section 25 a may have adiameter that increases along the curve in a direction from first endwall 14 to lid 7 as depicted in FIG. 15. In this embodiment, each wallsegment has a certain elasticity, and the at least one curved section 25a of each wall segment 25 is configured to be inverted and to snap intothat inverted configuration when the force applied during compression ofthe at least one side wall 6 surpasses a critical threshold, therebyserially locking each wall segment 25 in that inverted configuration asthe deformable container 3 is collapsed during product dispensing.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 16 a-c, which are cross-sectionalillustrations depicting the manner in which a wall segment 25folds/collapses according to aspects of the third embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 16 a shows a wall segment 25, including curvedsection 25 a and a straight section 25 b, in a fully expandedconfiguration such as depicted in the fully expanded illustration ofdeformable container 3 in FIG. 15. As depicted in FIG. 16 b, uponreceiving pressure or force from a source (e.g., plunger 13) pushing onan external surface of first end wall 14 in a downward direction towardslid 7, curved section 25 a bends, contorts, deforms or flexes into amore semi-circular configuration, while straight section 25 b remainssubstantially unchanged. As the force from plunger 13 is increased,first end wall 14 is pushed further in a downward direction toward lid7, such that curved section 25 a is flexed further, whereuponapplication of a critical force past the critical threshold causescurved section 25 a to snap into an inverted arcuate or curvedconfiguration, as depicted in FIG. 16 c.

While FIGS. 16 a-c depicts a wall segment 25 directly adjacent to firstend wall 14, upon application of further pressure from plunger 13pushing in a downward direction on the external surface of first endwall 14, the remaining plurality of wall segments 25 collapse serially,in a similar manner as that depicted in FIGS. 16 a-c, until deformablecontainer 3 reaches a substantially flattened configuration such asillustrated in FIG. 17.

The deformable container 3 according to this third embodiment, asdepicted in FIGS. 15-17, may be formed by thermoforming, and the atleast one side wall 6 may have a thickness of approximately 0.1 to 0.2mm, while lid 7 has a thickness of approximately 1 to 2 mm. The greaterthickness of lid 7 provides greater structural support for therelatively thin side walls 6. Additionally, the relative thinness of theside wall 6 may produce a rebound action of the side wall followingcompression to a flattened configuration. Accordingly, it iscontemplated that deformable container 3 has at least one lockingmechanism for locking the container in a flattened configuration.

For example, deformable container 3 according to this third embodimentdepicted in FIGS. 15-17 may have a locking mechanism, such as a lockingmechanism as discussed above. However, it is contemplated that thisembodiment is self-locking (as described below) and does not require aseparate locking mechanism.

When deformable container 3 is placed in an operational position on theplatform of the dispensing apparatus, plunger 13 fits into, and engageswith, correspondingly-shaped recess 11 at the first end wall 14 ofcontainer 3, and pushes first end wall 14 downward, thereby compressingfirst end wall 14 towards cover 7 sitting on platform 4, and therebyextruding the product through outlet opening 8. When the downward,linear force is applied to container 3, the rounded inclined element 25a begins to compress, as shown in FIG. 16 b, going through a criticalpoint in which it snaps into an inverted configuration, as shown in FIG.16 c. When the curved section 25 a reaches its final position asdepicted in FIG. 16 c, deformable container 3 self-locks itself becausethe force provided by snapping curved sections 25 a into adjacentstraight sections 25 b will cause straight sections 25 b to stretch,thus locking wall segments 25 and preventing them from jumping (e.g.,rebounding) back up.

During this inversion process, as depicted in FIGS. 16 a-c, therespective curved sections 25 a and straight sections 25 b becomeslightly elastically deformed. When the container 3 is being pusheddownward and collapsed by a force from plunger 13, so to extrude theproduct, the rounded elements 25 a are flexed and the inclined wallelements begin to snap into place concentrically all the way around sidewalls 6. For this reason, the container 3 structure made of a thick lid7 connected to relatively thin side walls 6 is configured to resistchanges and sustain the shape of container 3 as it is prior todispensing of product. Each compressed ring of container 3 fits insidethe next larger diameter ring, thereby keeping the horizontal alignmentduring container compression. After the container 3 becomes fullycompressed with complete extrusion of product, it will maintain asubstantially flattened shape, due the self-locking mechanism describedabove. The empty, self-locked container 3 may then be disposed of, andthe dispensing machine is ready for a subsequent use.

Reference is now made to FIG. 18, which shows a cross-sectional view ofa deformable container 3 with collapsible side walls 6 having curvedelements according to aspects of a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention. In this fourth embodiment, deformable container 3 includes,inter alia, a first end wall 14, at least one side wall 6, and alid/cover 7 having outlet opening 8. In embodiment, the at least oneside wall 6 includes a plurality of straight elements 26 connected bycurved portions 27.

Similar to the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 15-17, the at least one sidewall 6 of this fourth embodiment includes at least one, preferably aplurality, of concentric wall segments 26, as depicted in the circledportion of FIG. 18. Each wall segment 26 is stacked, adjoining andadjacent, and together form a frustoconical shape of the at least oneside wall 6 of deformable container 3. For example, the wall segments 26are arranged from first end wall 14 to lid 7 such that each wall segment26 has a greater diameter/circumference than the adjacent wall segment26 preceding it.

As shown in FIG. 18, each wall segment 26 includes a straight section 26a and at least one curved section 26 b. Each straight section 26 aextends in the direction from the first end wall to the second end wall(or lid) and has no change in diameter in its respective wall segment26, while each curved portion 26 b has a changing diameter as it curvesfrom the straight section 26 a of one wall segment 26 to the straightsection 26 a of an adjacent wall segment 26.

Wall segments 26 collapse in a manner similar to the collapse of wallsegments 25 depicted in FIGS. 16 a-c. FIG. 18 shows a cross-sectionalview of the deformable container 3 with a plurality of wall segments 26in a fully expanded configuration, and FIG. 19 shows a cross-sectionalview of the deformable container 3 of FIG. 18 in a collapsedconfiguration. Upon receiving pressure from a source (e.g., plunger 13)pushing on an external surface of first end wall 14 in a downwarddirection towards lid 7, straight section 26 a pushes curved portion 26b downward, thereby bending, contorting, flexing or deforming curvedportion 26 b, while straight section 26 a remains substantiallyunchanged. As the force from plunger 13 is increased, first end wall 14is pushed further in a downward direction toward lid 7, such that curvedsection 26 b is flexed further, whereupon application of a criticalforce past the critical threshold causes curved section 26 b to snapinto an inverted configuration as depicted in FIG. 19. Upon receivingfurther pressure from plunger 13 in a downward direction, the remainingplurality of wall segments 26 collapse serially, until deformablecontainer 3 reaches a substantially flattened configuration such asillustrated in FIG. 19.

The deformable container 3 according to this fourth embodiment depictedin FIGS. 18 and 19 may be formed by thermoforming and the at least oneside walls 6 may have a thickness of approximately 0.1 to 0.2 mm, whilelid 7 may have a thickness of approximately 1 to 2 mm. The greaterthickness of lid 7 provides greater structural support for therelatively thin side walls 6.

The deformable container 3 according to this fourth embodiment depictedin FIGS. 18 and 19 may have a locking mechanism, such as a lockingmechanism as discussed above, although it is contemplated that thisembodiment is self-locking such as the embodiment depicted in FIGS.15-17 and does not require a separate locking mechanism.

When the downward, linear force of plunger 13 is applied to container 3,the curved element 26 b begins to compress, going through a criticalpoint in which it snaps into place. When the rounded element 26 breaches a final position, deformable container 3 self-locks because theforce provided by snapping these rounded elements 26 b into adjacentstraight walls 26 a will cause straight walls 26 a to stretch androunded elements 26 b to flex, thus locking them and preventing themfrom jumping (e.g., rebounding) back up.

It is noted that, while similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 15-17,the particular shape of deformable container 3 illustrated in FIGS. 18and 19 provide less resistance to deformation when it is forced down todispense the product. In this way, deformable container 3 is more easilycompressed and collapsed thereby reducing the energy required todispense the product.

In certain embodiments, the dispensing apparatus may include a computingsystem, or similar computing device, that manipulates and/or transformsdata represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within thecomputing system's registers and/or memories into other data similarlyrepresented as physical quantities within the computing system'smemories, registers or other such information storage, transmission ordisplay devices. The computing system may include apparatuses necessaryfor implementing or using the dispensing apparatus and the deformablecontainer according to the various embodiments described herein. Suchapparatuses may be specially constructed for the desired purposes, ormay comprise controllers, computers or processors selectively activatedor reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computers. Suchcomputer programs may be stored in a computer readable storage medium(e.g., a non-transitory computer readable storage medium), such as, butis not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, opticaldisks, CD-ROMs, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs),random access memories (RAMs) electrically programmable read-onlymemories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read onlymemories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, or any other type ofmedia suitable for storing electronic instructions, and capable of beingcoupled to a computer system bus. It will be appreciated that a varietyof programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of theinvention as described herein.

The computing device of the dispensing apparatus according to certainembodiments of the present invention may include electronic circuitry,wired or wireless transmitters and receivers, input-output (“I/O”)interfaces/devices including a display with a user interface, and one ormore controllers. A receiver may be used, for example, to receivecontrol information (e.g., to change a mode of operation, to change thevalue of a parameter, etc.) and various messages. The computing devicemay further include an article such as a computer or processor readablemedium, or a computer or processor storage medium, such as for example amemory, a disk drive, or a USB flash memory, encoding, including orstoring instructions, e.g., computer-executable instructions that, whenexecuted by a processor or controller, carry out methods disclosedherein. Processors may include any standard data processor, such as amicroprocessor, multiprocessor, accelerator board, or any other serialor parallel high performance data processor.

In certain embodiments, the various containers, apparatuses and devicesdescribed herein may be incorporated into a single apparatus or machine(e.g., a vending machine), which may be manually or power-operated. Asknown in the art, the vending machine may be automated using methodsimplementing the computing devices described above.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is notlimited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments andthat the present invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof.

The embodiments presented herein are, therefore, to be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive of the scope of theinvention, and the skilled artisan will appreciate the appropriateequivalents thereto, which are to be considered as part of thisinvention.

1. A deformable container comprising: a first end wall; a second endwall opposing the first end wall; a lid having at least one outletopening, said lid configured for attachment to said second end wall; atleast one collapsible side wall having a plurality of pleats connectingthe first and second end walls, said plurality of pleats configuredcollapse the at least one side wall such that said deformable containerhas a substantially flattened configuration upon extrusion of adispensable product contained therein; and at least one lockingmechanism configured to lock the deformable container in thesubstantially flattened configuration.
 2. The deformable containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the lid is configured for attachment tosaid second end wall by friction fit, snap fit, welding, screwing orbonding.
 3. The deformable container according to claim 1, wherein thesecond end wall is annular and comprises an opening for filling thedeformable container with the dispensable product.
 4. The deformablecontainer according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprisesa protrusion located on the first end wall, and wherein the outletopening is configured to accept the protrusion, thereby maintaining thedeformable container in the substantially flattened configuration. 5.The deformable container according to claim 4, wherein the protrusioncomprises a groove extending along an outer periphery thereof andconfigured to engage with an edge of the outlet opening.
 6. Thedeformable container according to claim 4, wherein the protrusionextends into an internal volume of the deformable container.
 7. Thedeformable container according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion islocated at a radial center of the first end wall, and the outlet openingis located at a radial center of the lid.
 8. The deformable containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises aprotrusion located on the first end wall and a recess located on thelid, wherein the recess is configured to accept the protrusion, therebymaintaining the deformable container in the substantially flattenedconfiguration.
 9. The deformable container according to claim 8, whereinthe protrusion comprises at least one lip on an outer periphery thereof,and wherein the recess comprises at least one notch, said at least onelip configured to engage with said at least one notch.
 10. Thedeformable container according to claim 8, wherein the protrusioncomprises a lip extending along the entire outer periphery thereof, andthe recess comprises a groove extending along an entire inner peripheryof the lid, said lip configured to engage with said groove.
 11. Thedeformable container according to claim 8, wherein the protrusionextends into an internal volume of the deformable container.
 12. Thedeformable container according to claim 8, wherein the protrusion islocated at a radial center of the first end wall, and the recess islocated at a radial center of the lid.
 13. The deformable containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the deformable container has a generallycylindrical shape, and wherein the plurality of pleats areaccordion-like, wherein each pleat is configured to collapse ontoanother pleat, such that the plurality of pleats are orientedhorizontally and stacked vertically when the deformable container is inthe substantially flattened configuration.
 14. The deformable containeraccording to claim 13, wherein the at least one locking mechanismcomprises a lip located on a radially distal portion of the lid anddirected toward a radial center thereof, said lip configured to lockeach pleat under the lip as each pleat passes the lip during compressionof the deformable container.
 15. The deformable container according toclaim 14, wherein the lip is located on an inner circumference of lid.16. The deformable container according to claim 14, wherein the lid hasa depth sufficient to encompass all pleats of the plurality of pleats.17. The deformable container according to claim 1, wherein thedeformable container has a generally frustoconical shape, and whereineach pleat is configured to collapse, such that each pleat is alignedhorizontally adjacent to another pleat, and such that the plurality ofpleats are oriented substantially vertically when the deformablecontainer is in the substantially flattened configuration.
 18. Thedeformable container according to claim 17, wherein the plurality ofpleats comprises a plurality of concentric side wall sections, eachconcentric side wall section having a diameter smaller than the diameterof the next concentric side wall section in a direction from the firstend wall towards the second end wall.
 19. The deformable containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pleats form an anglebetween 45 and 89 degrees relative to second end wall.
 20. Thedeformable container according to claim 1 further comprising at leasttwo locking mechanisms.
 21. The deformable container according to claim1, wherein the lid is thick and rigid relative to the at least onecollapsible side wall.
 22. The deformable container according to claim6, wherein the first end wall comprises a recess on an outer surfacethereof configured to accept a plunger on a dispensing apparatus,wherein said recess on said outer surface is the same structure as theprotrusion that extends into the internal volume of the deformablecontainer.
 23. The deformable container according to claim 11, whereinthe first end wall comprises a recess on an outer surface thereofconfigured to accept a plunger on a dispensing apparatus, wherein saidrecess on said outer surface is the same structure as the protrusionthat extends into the internal volume of the deformable container.